Kunming zoo giraffe dies after getting his head stuck in tree

A male giraffe has died in a zoo on April 16 in Kunming, southwest China’s Yunnan province.

The accident happened when the giraffe, Hairong, was rubbing his body against the tree to relieve an itch. As he did so, his head became lodged in a tree fork at 1:25 p.m.

After seeing the situation, the zoo keepers, alongside vets, immediately came to his rescue, using a chain saw to remove the fork.

Due to stress, Hairong was unable to stand on his feet, even after his rescuers freed his neck. Despite the vet's attempts to save his life, there was little that could be done. Unfortunately, the giraffe died due to a damaged neck, which led to an insufficient blood supply to the brain.

The giraffe, 10, had lived happily in the Kunming zoo for the past five years. A lively character, he often rubbed against trees in the playground to ease itching, but this was the first and only incident of this nature.

Editor: John Li